So this is it?
by brookeandleah
Summary: Castle arrives at the precinct but something is wrong... He soon finds out what is so terribly wrong that has his blood boiling.  What is it that drives him to his breaking point? What is it that makes him say good-bye?


**A/N: So Josh is really annoying and I was daydreaming in a pointless lecture and came up with this… It will only be a one-shot unless I get a mass amount of reviews asking to write more**

**P.S. I sadly don't own Castle :(**

The spring sunlight filtered through the trees lining Central Park and the soothing aroma of coffee over took Richard Castle's thoughts as he stepped over the threshold of his regular Starbucks. He briskly walked the several blocks to the precinct and couldn't hold back the smile that played across his features, he was in a good mood, and why shouldn't he be? It was a beautiful day in an amazing city and an extraordinary woman awaited him inside the building. Setting a light jog to catch the elevator he stood there with another officer he recognized from a case one time but the thought was pushed aside when the elevator dinged homicide. As Castle strode out of the elevator the bullpen had an eerie silence to it, which was explained by the absence of detectives walking about. Was there a murder that hadn't been divulged to him? As he rounded the corner he saw Detective Beckett sitting at her desk in silence going over paper work, steadily yet tentatively Castle made his way over to her desk but before he arrived she got up and left without a single word. Castle took his usual seat adjacent to her desk and waited for what seemed a lifetime until she returned and without looking said,

"I am just doing paperwork today, so you can leave." Beckett said, no informed him

Unsure of what to do Castle sat, thinking over his options knowing that he must tread lightly as there was a different kind of edge to her voice, the kind she had with a suspect. As they sat in silence, Castle looking at Beckett, Beckett looking at paperwork, the tension between them grew and both sat rigid in their chairs unwilling to be the first one to break. After about three hours Castle had to break the tension that was mounting with every heartbeat, every breath,

"So where are Ryan and Esposito?" Castle questioned lightly

"Uhh, out I guess." Beckett replied with a sniff

A sniffle, did she really just sniffle? Her voice sounded shaky and filled with anxiety, which was not like Beckett

"What's wrong Beckett? I mean you would tell me if something was wrong, right?" An authoritative tone filled the air between them which took even Castle by surprise. As Kate slowly lifted her head from the stack of papers her hair parted slightly over her nose and once she was vertical, even though hair still covered it Castle could see the different tones of black and purple. She slowly brushed back her hazelnut locks and Castle could clearly see that her eye was a deep purple around the lid and a bluish-black surrounding it. She had been hit and Castle knew that it wasn't during a case because they had gotten the weekend off and this was fresh, as in it happened this morning. Staring at her with his mouth agape Castle's mind failed him with words to speak. As he thought more and more about what to say he felt an intensity growing within in him. Who could do this, especially to her? It was Josh wasn't it; he knew that Josh was no good so it had to be him, right?

"What… what happened? Who did this to you? Have you told anyone? Have you seen a doc-"

"Castle, please. I'm fine, really, can we just leave it?" She cut him off showing the cause was Dr. Motorcycle Boy.

"Leave it?" His voice broke "How can you expect me to leave it look what he did to you, you deserve so much more than that piece of" He stopped after seeing several heads poke out of doors at what turned out to be him almost yelling. Castle sat down, Beckett was looking down, and before he spoke Castle lowered his voice to around a whisper "You realize what is going to happen once Ryan and Esposito find out right?"

"I know" her voice caught "but please can we just not talk about it" and with that she was gone.

After another two hours Ryan and Esposito finally came into the precinct carrying lunch but were surprised to find only Castle sitting there on his phone.

"Yo, where's Beckett?" Esposito called from his desk

"Out, she left about two hours ago" Castle replied not being able to hide his underlying emotions.

Now in front of Beckett's desk Castle was addressed seriously

"Castle what is going on? Where is Beckett?" Ryan asked taking on a new expression

"I'm right here and everything is fine" Beckett's voice seemed to float through the air with such carelessness as though she had been there the whole time and the boys seemed to relax, until they turned to face her.

"Woah, you call that fine? What the hell happened to you?" Esposito went into big brother mode and got all defensive

"Sito, I said it's fine. Drop it okay." And just like that the boys moved away from the desk and retreated back to their own workstations like some force was pushing them away. Castle still astounded by Beckett's eye moved his chair closer and placed a hand on her leg resulting in Beckett looking up from her computer.

"Kate. Please, tell me who did this to you." Castle's voice was gentle and somber and he just sat there gazing at her with his dazzling blue eyes. It was hard for her to manage but Kate was able to push the syllable through her lips

"Josh" and with that Castle nodded and went back to, whatever it was that he did when there wasn't a case. As the day grew longer Castle had made numerous trips to the break room where he not so subtly met Ryan or Esposito, chatted for a few minutes then returned to his seat without a word. At around 4 o'clock Beckett was down talking to Lanie when Josh turned up at the precinct.

"What would _you_ be doing here?" Ryan quizzed him as he and Esposito flanked his sides

"I'm here to see Kate, is that _not_ allowed?" he casually replied

Kate, Castle scoffed, he didn't deserve to call her Kate. However, Castle waited patiently as they approached _their_ desk. Once he arrived the tension built, and fast, no one knew what to say without Beckett there. Castle was sitting staring at Josh with a fury that could annihilate the Death Star, Josh stood uncomfortably between Ryan and Esposito, who stood there staring at Josh with a different kind of rage.

"So have you boys done anything exciting today?" Josh asked trying to diffuse the tension, but it was no good, the stares kept at him with an even more intensified hatred at the use of boys to describe them.

"Beckett will probably be a while so you might as well leave." Esposito's suggestion sounded more like an order but Castle figured that was the point he was getting at.

"I think I'll just wait for her here." Josh turned his gaze to Esposito only to receive a heated look. An awkward silence became apparent after several minutes and Ryan took the opportunity of their upper hand to threaten Josh for what he did.

"She sleeps with a gun you know. So do Esposito and I, and we have one hell of a shot. Castle has proved to be quite handy with a gun too, under the right circumstances." And with that last sentence Ryan's eyes narrowed and the silence grew even more so.

"Ryan, Esposito! My office, now." Montgomery called from his door causing the boys to break their line of sight and turn to leave

"I've got my eye on you, Motorcycle Boy." Esposito whispered as he turned to leave.

Josh and Castle stayed in silence as they watched the boys leave and enter Montgomery's office.

"So do you know when Kate will be back?" Josh asked once they were out of sight.

"Why? So you can hit her again?" Castle quipped without a seconds thought.

Josh was clearly shocked by what Castle knew but why wouldn't Castle know? She told 'Writer Boy' everything.

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?" Josh played dumb but narrowed his eyes

"What the hell do you mean, what is that supposed to mean?" Castle jumped out of his seat "You know damn well what I am talking about so don't think for a second about playing dumb with me because it is _not_ going to work!" Castle's voice rose in volume but Josh was unnerved. At that point Montgomery, Ryan and Esposito had left the office and were now watching the exchange from just outside the doorway. Next to them, unnoticed were Beckett and Lanie watching in silence with them. The intensity inside Castle felt as though it was going to break through at any moment and Josh knew that too.

"You know, if you really loved her you would move on and let her get on with her life, but you stick around hoping that something will happen. But nothing is going to happen because she is with me so just back off!" Josh was yelling now at Castle who was red in the face. His knuckles had turned white from being held in tight fists at his sides and his whole body was now shaking with an anger that he had never felt before and with a sudden pulse starting in his feet, Castle leapt forward grasping Josh's shoulders and pushing him to the ground. Castle was no longer thinking but acting on his feelings resulting in a punch straight to Josh's nose. A harsh pain shot through Castle's hand but that didn't stop him from delivering more blows to his face, several more punches were thrown before Ryan and Esposito pulled Castle away. Josh sat up with the help of Lanie and had blood rapidly dripping from his nose and lip. As Castle tried to break free of the boys to get in another couple of shots Montgomery pushed him back and Castle hit his head on the wall and with that a warm trickle of blood oozed from the fresh wound.

"Castle that is enough! Now stand down before I have you in cuffs." Montgomery was sharp and to the point and for once Castle listened moving his hand to cup is head wound resulting in his hand being filled with blood. Castle looked down to Josh who was sitting on a chair whilst slightly dazed and being checked over by Beckett and Lanie.

"Yo, Lanie we got some blood over here and a fair bit of it." Esposito grimaced at Castle's head and Lanie came to inspect leaving Josh and Beckett

"Kate, I'm sorry for what happened. That's why I am here, to apologise when this thing happened." Josh was loud enough for the small congregation to hear and it made the boys look away.

"Sorry to break up the party but we're going to need an ambulance here." Lanie interjected motioning to the stream of blood now running from the back of Castle's head. With that everyone got moving, making phone calls, getting ice but Castle and Josh stayed the same. Castle stared at Josh who looked for Beckett but she was gone.

Castle slowly moved towards Josh and knelt to talk into his ear, "She went to you first, her choice, however wrong has been made. Tell her to look in her car's glove box from me" and with that Castle got up and slowly started to leave, a tear escaping his eye at what he was about to do. He walked to Beckett's desk, picked up his jacket and walked over to where her and Lanie were standing.

"Thank you. For putting up with me, for letting me shadow you and for letting me get to know you. I know it wasn't always easy with me pulling your pigtails but you continued to keep me around and for that I have to now leave and let you get on with your life." Another tear rolled down his cheek and as Castle looked up to meet Beckett's gaze a tear escaped her eye and her lips moved to say something but stopped.

"So this is it? Good-bye?" her voice covered on raw emotion that took Lanie by surprise

Castle took her last question as a statement and looked deep within her eyes hoping that somewhere there was a part of her that would ask him to say but he never found it so he simply yet, passionately said the words Beckett didn't want to hear

"See you around, Detective" and with that he turned to leave, he trod off quietly and waited for the elevator leaving a wake of confusion in his path.

"Hunnie, give yourself a break and do what is in here" Lanie pointed to Kate's heart "you and I both know that you want to, I'll take care of Josh."

Josh. Beckett had forgotten he was here. Castle had beaten him to a pulp for her, almost to the point of unconsciousness but was pulled off of him. It reminded Kate of when Castle beat Hal Lockwood in that warehouse after their kiss. The kiss. That kiss had been on her mind a lot and Beckett couldn't take it anymore. She turned. But he was gone.

Castle was now sitting on his couch, alone. How did today go _so_ downhill, _so_ fast?

Josh. _He_ was the reason Kate had a black eye. _He_ was the reason Castle had said good-bye. _He_ was the reason Castle was drugged up on numerous medications. Josh was a good for nothing,

"Richard? What are you doing home?" Martha's voice called, she gasped when Castle faced her. "What happened to you?" She came and sat next to him on the couch

"It's over. Josh won." Was all Castle could manage as another tear fell to the couch.

"Oh Richard I am so sorry." Martha comforted her son knowing how much Beckett meant to him and seeing it all fall to pieces just tore at her heart. "It will be better, I promise" She tried to help

"No it won't." Castle's voice now rising. "Don't you get it? It's over she chose _him_!" Castle shrugged off his mother's embrace and stood. "I'm calling Paula, telling her that Nikki Heat is over. It's done, I'm finished with that stupid series." He was angry but Martha didn't know what to say.

A knock.

That was it. Just a knock at the door and he stopped his rant. Castle walked to the door and opened it.

"Beckett?"

**So let me know what you think (:**


End file.
